The idea for this show first occurred to me back in 2013 while I was listening to some original versions of 1950s radio shows, presented as podcasts. That was when inspiration struck, these stories, in the public domain, were not only dramatic and mysterious - but funny. For me that was one of the first major selling points, this mix of comedy, mystery and intrigue is a recipe for the perfect evening at the theatre - it’s everything somebody could want from a show.

I spent months researching all the different radio dramas that were on in the 1950s and while there are a wealth of good shows, only a couple were great. That’s how I came across Candy Matson and Yours Truly Johnny Dollar. Then due to various other projects I sidelined the show, but when I was looking for something to produce in the 2015 Adelaide Fringe I decided Great Detectives of Old Time Radio Live was the one. The show was received very well in Adelaide, by audience and critics alike - but in this original version the comedy was lacking.

The project came resurfaced in my mind early this year (2016) after some discussion about potential shows to perform in Sydney. A revised, more comical version of this show made perfect sense, not only for Sydney, but to bring around Australia - which is how the 9 city national tour eventuated.

With these details beginning to be locked in I started re-writing, so what will open in the Sydney Fringe Festival is a completely revised version of the show. The humour flows in abundance, while not compromising the mystery and intrigue - and the whole show is also historically accurate. This is one show that I can truly say people of all ages will enjoy.

The icing on the cake with this show is the incredible cast - in addition to our leads Julia Sciacca, Eden Trebilco and Jennifer Barry, (and me), we are being joined by a range of celebrities who’ll cameo in the show each night. It’s a night of mystery, comedy and intrigue, and personally I can’t wait to see you there.